Urgent advice needed: M9 vs standalone delay and reverb

greetings

Hi guys

Ordering some new gear this week. With about R6000, would you get a Line 6 M9 + two Line 6 EX-1's, or a delay such as the Visual Sound Dual Tap Delay, or the new Vox DelayLab, or the Nova Delay (or any other suggestions), with a reverb pedal such as a BOSS RV5, TC Hall of Fame (or any other suggestions)? I've had the M13 and really loved it, but it was massive, so logically the M9 is the downsize plus my other pedals. I could also buy a standalone delay and the Line 6 M5 (the Particle Verb is amazing...)

My other pedals are a Polytune, Vox Ice 9 overdrive, Hardwire CM-2 tube overdrive, Dunlop DVP1 volume pedal, Malekko Ekko 616 analog delay, and Keeley compressor on the way.

Please tell me what your reasons are ? thanks a lot guys...

AlanRatcliffe

If you're happy with the rest of your gear, get a standalone delay and reverb. Which ones you go for depend on your tastes and requirements.

Current picks-of-the-crop are the Eventide Space for reverb and the Strymon Timeline for delay (or maybe the Eventide Timefactor - In a perfect world, I'd have both. But I'm a delay junkie ?). However, together they will probably exceed your budget and still take up a lot of space on your board. There is still a wait for the Strymons too.

If space is the big issue, the TC Flashback delay and HOF reverb are great. Also relatively inexpensive and easy to use compared to the Eventide or Strymon units, without a big trade-off tonally. Other possibilities for reverb are the Hardwire (Probably the best plate and hall reverbs), and the Strymon Blue Sky (The "shimmer" and modulated 'verbs of choice). The Boss RV-5 only really features with it's mod reverb.

The TC Nova Delay is the closest in power to the Timeline and Timefactor - a few notches up from the others and does the digital, mod, plate and ducking delays very well, but is a bit too pristine sounding to pull off analog or tape. It is also seriously lacking on programmability.

Strymon's other delay units are also well worth a look - the Brigadier (the best analog delay type sounds) and the El Capistan (if tape delays are your thing). Both very musical with lots of character and some unique possibilities that not even the Timeline can pull off. Wider than the TC Flashback, but just a little shorter (and the top orientation of the jack sockets means they take up even less width in total).

greetings

Thanks for the advice. You don't recommend the M9 at all? It is after all the DL4 plus so much more, and the stuff you can do with the expression pedals is almost limitless.

Not keen on the Nova Delay. The Timeline or Timefactor will be too much, I think, if I want to get a reverb pedal too. I have a bit of a dilemma.

I'm also a delay junkie. I love the idea of having three delays on the M9 at one time ?

AlanRatcliffe

Frodo Baggins wrote Thanks for the advice. You don't recommend the M9 at all?

Quite a good all-in one, but you asked what I would do. The dual parallel delays of the Timeline and the way they let you do things like put filters in the feedback loop suit me far better than three delays in series.

The Timeline or Timefactor will be too much, I think, if I want to get a reverb pedal too.

Depends - one of those and a Hall of Fame and you could still be within budget.

greetings

For sure.

I've been checking out some threads comparing the M9 vs Timefactor and most are saying that while they "think" the Timefactor's delays might be a fraction "better" (they say it could just be in their head, as a preconceived idea), the functionality of the M9 is much better (in their opinions).

I think I'm going to get the M9 now, and then save up for the Blue Sky reverb (I love it) and another delay later and then make the M9 a practice board or additional delay/extras. I just love how it works - its so simple and logical.

Not really digging the TC Hall of Fame. I'd rather have a reverb like the Blue Sky or Space later.

msch997

Not meaning to Hijack this thread, but I would be interested in what the members recommend as a verb pedal but focused on spring reverb emulation. I currently use the Neunaber Wet which a great reverb pedal but it does not really try emulate anything it has its own vibe, great for spacey and atmospheric type sounds but doesn't really do spring.

Thanks

Mike

AlanRatcliffe

msch997 wrote I would be interested in what the members recommend as a verb pedal but focused on spring reverb emulation.

Try a Boss FRV-1 - it is a surprisingly good Fender tank type sound and the only emulation that splashes/drips like the real thing (hisses a bit too, which is also authentic ?).

Otherwise, on the boutique side, the Lee Jackson Mr Springgy gets lots of love for sheer quality of sound, but doesn't quite get intense enough for heavy reverb swamped styles like surf.

If you need a more flexible pedal that has a very good spring emulation, but also has good room, hall and plate sounds, take a look at the Hardwire reverb.

msch997

Alan Ratcliffe wrote
msch997 wrote I would be interested in what the members recommend as a verb pedal but focused on spring reverb emulation.
Try a Boss FRV-1 - it is a surprisingly good Fender tank type sound and the only emulation that splashes/drips like the real thing (hisses a bit too, which is also authentic ?).

Otherwise, on the boutique side, the Lee Jackson Mr Springgy gets lots of love for sheer quality of sound, but doesn't quite get intense enough for heavy reverb swamped styles like surf.

If you need a more flexible pedal that has a very good spring emulation, but also has good room, hall and plate sounds, take a look at the Hardwire reverb.

Thanks Alan, I will visit my fave music store and "borrow" the Boss FRV-1 and the Digitech Hardwire plug them into my PRRI and compare each pedal with the other and of course with the on board PRRI spring reverb, see which sounds "closest" to me. I never use the built in reverb in the PRRI beyond 4 so not looking for surf sounds. Want a subtle spring reverb to run in front of my Transatlantic TA-15 when using that amplifiers clean voicings (Fender, Vox).

Regards

Mike

BluJu

Just my thoughts.
I've tried the single pedal delays (digitech and tc flashback) and IMO they just don't cut it in a live situation.
The tap or strum tempos do not allow for on the fly adjustment and I'm left using only one setting the whole night.

For 6k I would get the Eventide delay (ideally a Strymon timeline but availability and price are an issue)
and a hall of fame reverb or any other that tickles your fancy.